Joke

CANBERRA, Australia - Couples in Australia now have a nice incentive to have children - 2,000 bucks for every baby born after June. Peter Costello, the treasurer of the country, said that two children per couple in a nation of 20 million just isn't enough to sustain growth. He said it is the "patriotic duty" of couples to have at least three children. The initiative will be up for grabs for the next five years. "You should have ... one for your husband, one for your wife, and one for your country," Costello said. Some couples might have to go even further and have extra children "for your country" to accommodate for the gap left by those "who are not even replicating themselves."

The father of three ended the news conference by telling reporters, "You go home and do your patriotic duty tonight."